The Cost for Freedom

Chapter 18

When I raise my eyebrows at her, she finally got to the point of her story, "You are a target. Because of me. This place, it was created because of my dissociation with Cecil. And now that it's been here for a generation, it has created a name, Alexis. A name in the eyes of their enemies, now your enemies."

"You mean the werewolf's? So somehow, because of you, I am a target for the werewolf's?" I look at her without hiding my confusion or anger. "What?"

"Yes. Well, sort of." She reaches her hand out to touch me, as if in comfort. But I automatically step away from allowing her to do so, and she sighs. "I mean that because this place was created, the once peaceful rifts between werewolf and vampire has escalated to war. And this was created because of Cecil's anger over how the werewolf's had destroyed his life; my life. The werewolf's are trying to find a weakness in Cecil, which could be you. Because, as crazy it may seem to you, I am Cecil's weakness."

"You're right. It does sound crazy. Cecil isn't the same man you fell in love with in your story."

"That story. Was my life. Is my life."

"I know. But I don't think Cecil has weaknesses. He hardly even seems to care anymore for his own son..."

She sighs in defeat, sounding tired. "Well you're a fool if you truly think so... But either way, I had to at least try to explain this to you." I watch as she nods and backs away then turns away from me.

Turning around, I see just how far Evelyn and I had walked during our "talk." I was almost to the north wall. The same northern part of campus that I hate, because it's where Cecil stays. An involuntary shiver runs up my spine at the thought of him almost being family. But then I couldn't exactly blame her for being involved with him when I myself was becoming involved with his son. Or had been. Had. Definitely had. God I almost forgot what a jerk he had been earlier to me. Somehow I had only just missed him.

No. I couldn't think of him. I shook my head as I stopped in my tracks. It was clearly lunchtime yet I was heading back to train. Why did I not even feel hungry? I switched gears as I now led myself in the direction of the castle.

There was too much on my mind. Evelyn's story had taken me back, taken me away from here, mentally, for a time. I was so engrossed in listening that I hadn't even known how far we'd walked, nor how long we had talked. Just... how? How is any of this even possible? And why is that I am just now beginning to learn about vampires operate? I mean if they want us to trust them, you'd think they would tell us everything. No secrets, just truth. Does this mean Tyler could be... wait. How was Tyler even born? Who was his mother?

"Alexis, I-" bam. I'd just run into Tyler. Literally plowed right into him. Although I'm pretty sure it had hurt me more than it had hurt him.

"Ah! Ow..." I absentmindedly rub my shoulder.

"Sorry," he's laughing at me. "But you were the one that ran into me. Didn't know you missed me so much, babe." He emphasizes the last word with sarcasm.

And there's his killer cocky attitude. "How can you be so lighthearted about all of this?" I shake my head at him. "I was tortured in front of you, by your father, and I meet my great freaking grandmother!"

"Hey. I know, I'm sorry," he was quiet at first. "I was the one who helped you out of there, remember? I almost risked outing us in front of my father just to save you."

"And what, you wished you hadn't. Is that it? Maybe you should have. I'd like to see how she would have reacted."

"No. No, that's not what I meant." He stopped and looked at the ground then back up to me. "Just, all of this started wrong. I was looking for you. You didn't run into me on accident... I was worried about you after last night."